Sweet Potatoes and Gingerbread Trifle

This sounds like the perfect Christmas treat!

I wanted to introduce a new way to look at dessert and steer you away from the thought that sweets have to be made with loads of flour and sugar, and then covered with even more sugar.

Created over 2 decades ago, my signature avocado mousse still manages to convert even the sweet tooth of so many people. Today, as part of my Diabetes Management week, I am taking this a step higher. This dessert is surprisingly sweet and tasty and can regal adults and children alike; perfect for a playdate, a book club treat, or indeed Christmas.   

My favourite is the sweet potato filling. It tastes as delicious as real toffee and will bluff the most sceptical of friends.
What could be better than that?
​There is no added sugar!!!
 
For a delightful vegan variation, remove the egg and replace it with an egg-replacement mixture (1 tbsp chia seeds or linseeds, or both, soaked in 6 tablespoons of water) and butter with coconut butter or your favourite vegan butter alternative.

This recipe was shortlisted for “Diabetes Management,” a US magazine. The recipe published for Diabetes Week was the “Courgettes alla Caponata.”

Serving suggestion

Recipe

Serves  6–8:

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 25 minutes

Gingerbread
250 g buckwheat flour
250 ml water (hot)
50 g organic molasses
100 g coconut sugar
100 g butter
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon (ground)
1 tsp ginger (ground)
½ tsp cloves (ground)
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp nutmeg

Sweet Potato filling
2 large sweet Potatoes
400 ml coconut milk
1 tsp cinnamon (ground)
1 tsp ginger (ground)
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp allspice

Nut Cream
200 ml cold water
75 g cashew nuts
50 g Brazil nuts
50 g almonds
50 g hazelnuts
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚c and line a cake tin with parchment paper. Butter and flour slightly.

2. Using your mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and once fully incorporated, add the molasses.

3. Gently combine the sifted dry ingredients with the mix and finally the hot water. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

4. Bake for about 1 hour. The cake is ready when a knife blade or toothpick comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan.

5. To prepare the sweet potato filling, peel the potatoes, cut them into small chunks and boil until cooked. Place the cooked sweet potatoes inside your food processor bowl and blitz until smooth. Add the coconut milk and the spices and blitz until well combined. Set aside to cool. N.B. Add more spices for even more flavours.

6. For the nut cream, place all ingredients inside your mixer and blitz until you have obtained a smooth, cream-like texture. The nut cream will thicken as it rests. Preferably, make it 2 hours ahead to reach the desired consistency.

7. To serve, start by adding a layer of the crumbled gingerbread at the bottom of individual glasses or cups, or a large serving bowl. Then add a layer of the sweet potato mix and finally a large spoon of the nut cream. Repeat until you have used all the ingredients. You can also sprinkle some gingerbread crumbs over the top and maybe a spoonful of wild blueberries for added antioxidants and sweetness.